In an annual display of sectarianism, Belfast unionists have
again voted to withhold funding for the city’s St Patrick’s Day
carnival parade.

The St Patrick’s Day Carnival committee had applied for 30,000
pounds funding from Belfast City Council for this year’s March
17 festivities.

The funding had originally been approved by the council, but
that decision was overturned by unionist and Alliance
councillors last month.

Hardline unionist Nelson McCausland said the Irish ethos of
previous carnivals offended unionists and their sense of
Britishness.

The St Patrick’s Festival in Belfast has only been held in
previous years on a shoestring budget garnered mainly from
private donors. By contrast, the Dublin event has an annual
turnover of 2.5 million Euro, of which almost half is provided
as an annual grant by the 26 County government.

SDLP councillor Alban Maginness said he was mystified by
unionist and Alliance objections.

“People across the world are amazed that here in Belfast we
don’t celebrate St Patrick’s Day,” he said.

“This carnival committee has shown it is prepared to reach out
to other communities.”

“Once again last night the Alliance party in Belfast City Hall
firmly nailed their colours to the unionist mast. In the recent
past they have refused to support power sharing on the council
and now have failed to support the St. Patrick’s Day Carnival in
the city.”

He said nationalists would find it ironic that Alliance mayor
Tom Ekin was prepared to celebrate St Patrick’s Day in London
but had voted against a similar carnival in Belfast.

“It was agreed that carnival organisers bent over backwards to
reach out to all communities but the unionist and Alliance
councillors slapped them in the face,” he said.

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